Various methods and devices have been proposed for grouping and holding objects such as containers for shipping. For example, paperboard or cardboard cartons, boxes and trays, stretch wrapping and shrink wrapping, as well as combinations of the above have been employed. Various types of machines have been developed to feed, group, and package such containers.
When shrink wrapping is employed, often objects are grouped on a cardboard tray having folded up edges before applications and shrinking of the shrink film. Such trays are employed to provide stability during loading, shrink wrapping and shipment. Trays are typically rectangular, with four folded-up sides to. The edges are typically glued and/or stapled to hold them in the desired form. The articles, if all of the same type, are typically arranged in a grid on the tray. Twenty-four bottles could be arranged in a 4×6 grid on a tray, for example. Alternatively, blanks in the form of rectangular sheets of cardboard (without the folded up edges) have also been used to provide similar benefits.
Such packaging while generally effective has certain drawbacks. For example, using cardboard and shrink film requires more raw materials and resources than using either alone, and requires complicated machinery to organize and assemble a shrink-wrapped package of objects. Also, at times it can be difficult to create machinery that allows for flexibility in packaging of objects in different configurations and or groupings. That is, major changes have been required in order to change a packaging line if a change in product or grouping is desired. Also, use of such trays and blanks typically results in only an orthogonal grid arrangement matching the dimensions of the trays and blanks. In such arrangements, inherently due to the grid organization, interior objects may contact directly only four adjacent objects.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved flight bar assemblies, apparatus and methods for collation of objects.